Overview
- The multicentre ICMR analysis covered 34,792 stroke cases across 30 hospitals from January 2020 to December 2022.
- Only 20.1% of patients arrived within 4.5 hours, while 37.8% reached hospitals after 24 hours, sharply limiting treatment options.
- Hypertension was present at admission in nearly three-quarters of cases, making it the dominant modifiable risk factor.
- About 60% of strokes were ischemic, and the most common early signs were motor weakness and trouble speaking.
- Doctors caution that brief transient attacks often go unchecked, and delays can lead to lasting disability for people in their prime working years.